Cornell University Library The original of this book is in the Cornell University Library. There are no known copyright restrictions in the United States on the use of the text. http :/Awww.archive.org/details/cu31924001148448 Birds’-nesting :a handbook of instructio LIFE ON THE SEASHORE OR ANIMALS OF OUR COASTS AND BAYS, By James H. Emerton. The Seaside Collector's Handbook. Price $1.50. BOTANICAL COLLECTOR'S HANDBOOK, By Prof. W.,W. Bartey, of Brown University. Price $1.50. SEA MOSSES, By A. B. Hervey. Fine colored plates of sea-weeds. Price $2.00. NEW ENGLAND BIRD LIFE, By Stearns & Cougs. The Bird Collector's Handbook Vol. I. Price $2.50. BREEDING HABITS OF AMERICAN BIRDS,. with a description of their NESTS AND EGGS. By Ernest INGERSOLL, Published in Parts at 25 Cents per Part. The only authentic history of Birds’ Nests and Eggs in print in this country. NATURALISTS’ ASSISTANT, By J. S. Kincsey. This book is a guide to the work of the Naturalist in every department. _ Price $1.50. IN PREPARATION, \ Any of the above works sent post-paid on receipt of price by the publisher. GEO. A. BATES, Salem, Mass. BIRDS’-NESTING., BIRDS’-NESTING: A HANDBOOK OF INSTRUCTION IN GATHERING AND PRESERVING THE NESTS AND EGGS OF BIRDS FOR THE PURPOSES OF STUDY. BY ERNEST INGERSOLL. SALEM: GEORGE A. BATES. 1882. COPYRIGHT BY GEORGE A. BATES, 1882. PRINTED AT THE SALEM PREss, cor. Liberty and Derby Sts., SALEM, MASS, PREFACE, PREFACE, Tue book herewith offered has grown out of a se- ries of articles printed in the first volume of Science News, erstwhile published in New York under the editorial eye of the present writer. In the course of their expansion the author has not felt himself bound by any hard and fast limits in the treatment of his subject, in respect either to the mat- ters discussed or the manner of discussion. Inter- mixed with essential information, therefore, will be found a plentiful salting of facts and considerations, which, if not important for their novelty or practical value, may prove suggestive or at least entertaining. (vii) vili PREFACE. I am well aware that this last word will receive a sniff from some very worthy men, — especially among those whose gravity in things ornithological is far be- yond their years, —who preach (and unfortunately practise) that scientific writings should eschew all effort to be readable, improving in proportion to their dullness. Perhaps they would not assert it in phrases quite so cold-blooded, but I do not misstate the ten- dency. To me this seems a sad and mischievous view. Science is not the things or facts themselves, but our knowledge of them. This knowledge comes to one or two by personal observation and experiment : to all the rest of us it must come by reading. The observer’s object in writing his account of any single fact noted, or series of researches, is, that people may read it, but no one will care to do so if it is not agreeably written, and his object will thus be dies feated ; or, if the narrative is perused at all, it will be with fatigue and blunted interest prejudicing the mind most unfavorably. PREFACE. ix There are catalogues, analytical descriptions, dic- tionaries and other mere tools of a cae that are no more intended to be read than a scaffolding is in- tended to serve as the tower whose fine architecture it helps to rear; these do not require literary inter- est to add to their usefulness, yet suffer no harm by any chance attractivenes that itmay be possible to put upon them. But when it is sought to make every book of natural history either a dry, technical tome of reference, forbidding in style of expression and in typographical appearance, or else to make it suf- fer under the stigma of being untrustworthy simply because attractive to some one beside a closetful of special students, it seems to me time to protest. Give us, say I, the truest, most deeply founded, un- changeable science that can be wrought from Na- ture’s storehouse ; but do not deny to us, who are unable to search after the truth for ourselves, some share in the knowledge your better fortune enables you to acquire. Moreover, do not put us off with the plea that we cannot comprehend. What you x PREFACE. know, O wise men, you can tell us if you care to, provided your own thought is clear upon the subject. It is not the depth of the lake which prevents our seeing its bottom, but the obscurities in the water ; yet, on the other hand, because water is muddy is no sign it is deep, nor because a writer is obscure does it follow that his knowledge is too profound for our mental plummets. I can record such a protest against the refusal of the Brahmins to try to make science popular, more safely here than elsewhere, because no one will maintain, I think, that a book like the present one would be better for being very dry and statisti- cal. HencelI do not feel myself open to the criticism, conceivably sarcastic, of busily defending where I have not been attacked. That a tendency does exist among the pundits to decry efforts at making scientific knowledge widely known and enjoyed, is true; that it should be argued against and, if needful, laughed at, until abandoned, is the point I wish to make. PREFACE. xi If a book like this, guiding the unlearned to the fountain-head of science — nature itself — shall help to break down the artificial barrier between original research and popular information, between study and pleasure, aye, between fact and imagination, I shall feel “that my labor has not been in vain ”—words quoted from a humility praiseworthy though quaint. E. I. Washington, April, 1882. TABLE OF CONTENTS, PaGE, PREFACE, . ‘ . ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ . ix FIELD WORK, ‘ : ‘ ; ‘ ‘ 5 23 PREPARATION OF SPECIMENS, : ‘ ‘ ‘é ‘ 35 THE CABINET, , ‘ 3 a i ‘ . ~ 75 LIST OF BIRDS WHOSE NIDIFICATION IS UNKNOWN, . gt BIRD ARCHITECTURE, . . . . * . - 99 INDEX, . : ‘ F : . : 3 . 109 FIELD WORK, i. FIELD-WORK, INTRODUCTORY. A KNOWLEDGE of the breeding habits of birds being an integral part of ornithology, representing perhaps the most important phase of avian life, col- lections of birds’ nests and eggs are indispensable to the thorough student ; and many persons find peculiar pleasure in forming them. But the gathering of birds’ eggs for scientific pur- poses,—and I take it as granted that no lesser aim would influence any one,—requires far more dis- crimination than the collecting of specimens in almost any other branch of natural history. It has been remarked by Professor Newton, in his excellent “Circular” published by the Smithsonian Institution, that the botanist, so long as he gets his specimens in good condition, is satisfied with labels attached giving a few concise particulars of when and where they were obtained ; but the odlogist demands positive 3) 4 BIRD’S-NESTING. surety that the species of bird to which the eggs belonged was accurately identified, and that the spec- imens themselves have subsequently been carefully authenticated. The nests of birds are to be sought for in all lo- calities, and in various months of the year according to the latitude, April, May and June being the most productive. Many of the rapacious birds, however, begin to lay much earlier, even in February and March. Everywhere the lateness or forwardness of the season correspondingly retards or hastens the date of incubation to a considerable degree; and, as a rule, the nesting season on the Pacific coast is several days earlier than on the Atlantic. If you limit your collecting trips to the immediate vicinity of your home, your observation will tell you- when the birds are beginning to build, and when the eggs are to be had. You will discover that, for about a fortnight, if you wish good, fresh specimens, you must work with great zeal, wasting not a single moment. If you delay, the mother birds will begin to sit upon their eggs, the embryos will begin to be formed, and when this has gone on for a few days the preservation of good specimens is very difficult. After the middle of May, therefore, constant vigi- lance should be exercised, and the eggs of all the earlier breeding birds be taken at once, in order to WHERE TO SEARCH. 5 make way for the crowd to follow. The services of boys and other persons on farms and plantations may be called in to great advantage at this busy time, in looking up for you the situation of nests; but they should not be allowed to disturb any nest until you, or some other competent person, have visited the spot. This regulation may be difficult to carry out, but will prove most profitable in the construction of a valuable collection, if persisted in. METHODS OF DISCOVERY. Where to look for nests may be worth a few words. Most birds build on trees or bushes; many on the ground or on rocks; others in cavities. Some con- trive elegant, elaborate structures, endlessly varied in details of form and material; others make no nest whatever. Particular nests, of course, like the birds that build them, can only be found through ornitho- logical knowledge; but general seeking is usually rewarded with a varied assortment. “Search long and diligently,” writes one of our collectors. “Place straw, hay, cotton, hemp, or any of the materials that birds use in constructing their nests, in an exposed situation in a swamp or wood; then, by watching the birds when they take it and following them, many nests will be found that would otherwise 6 BIRD’S-NESTING. escape notice.” The same course may be followed in respect to birds observed with nest-material in their beaks, but the process requires great patience, —a virtue every young odlogist should cultivate, and must possess in order to do really good work in this branch, which deserves to be ranked as an “ exact science.” The best method of becoming possessed of many nests, particularly those of sandpipers and other ground-breeders, is for the collector to conceal him- self near the place where he has reason to believe the eggs are, and to endeavor to watch the bird as she returns to her nest, using a telescope, if necessary. Marking where you find nests one season will very likely lead to discovery of others near by, in the next season. When you are exploring a locality do it thoroughly : peer into every bush, clump of grass, hollow tree and other likely place for a bird’s home ; kick stumps and fallen logs to frighten out wrens, nuthatches, etc. ; look in all directions quickly, keeping your eyes wide open and your tongue still,— ‘Step softly and speak low.” While some birds, instinctively avoiding exposure, will let you pass close by and make no outcry, others betray their homes at once by their clamorous anxiety, STUDIED “GOOD LUCK.” 7 or try to lure you from the precious structure by feigning a lameness to attract your vain pursuit. All these signs the bird-collector must learn and profit by if he would succeed. The most valuable nests are constantly being brought to light by apparently happy accident ; but it is only such good luck as comes to those who are quick-witted, industrious, watchful and unwearied. The secret of success here, as elsewhere, is hard work. BIRD-PREFERENCES. One who goes to distant, wild regions to collect eggs of land birds, is generally disappointed. Birds are drawn by various circumstances near to the abodes of man. They seek a place for their homes combining an attractive site, safety from enemies, material for their architecture, and food for them- selves and for their fledglings, when the latter shall arrive. The union of these conditions determines a bird’s choice of the locality for its home within the area of its general distribution in the breeding season ; for, because a species is known to breed both in New England and in Texas, it is by no means certain that its nest- will be found everywhere between, even though the species may not be an uncommon one; the case of the cliff swallow (to be alluded to more 8 BIRD’S-NESTING. particularly in a subsequent chapter) affords an illus- tration. One must acquaint himself with the general habits of all the birds, therefore, if he expects to succeed as an odlogist, and in this very necessity—it is well to point out again—lies the value and benefit of the special study at present under consideration. “In the nest the whole life of the bird centres, and hence to write fully of the rest and eggs and nesting habits, is to write very fully and adequately of the birds themselves and of their characters, as these are shown in the choice of places for building, in the structure and surroundings of the nests, in the guardianship of the young, and in the foraging methods adopted by the several species.” A very important requisite for domestic peace and happiness is security from enemies. This the small birds find most surely near man, and they therefore forsake the depth of the woods and resort to the hedges and groves; to the pasture-lot with its pleasant brook, and thickets of brambles and second-growth saplings ; to the roadside and orchard ; even to the garden, the farm, or the tree-box pre- pared for their welcome. Those species that must be sought for in the deep woods and remote valleys are such as are well protected from danger by nesting in holes in trees, or other well concealed positions, NAMING EGGS. 9 —the titmice and woodpeckers, for example; those which, like the hawks, are able to repel intrusion ; and lastly, species naturally exceedingly wild and solitary, as some of the marsh birds: but even these are more likely to be found near our homes than far away,—out in the sunshine, rather than back in the gloom. NAMING EGGS. Precision in the identification of his specimens — that is, the ascertaining without any possible mistake the name of the bird that laid the eggs in question, —must be the main object of the egg-collector, to attain which all others must give way. When, there- fore, a nest containing eggs, or one newly constructed, is discovered, it’should not be disturbed, if possible, before the parents have been taken, or well observed sitting upon it or hovering near, and thus identified. Horsehair snares arranged about a nest, or a daubing of bird-lime, will often secure the parent bird. If the species cannot otherwise be positively determined (and generally in any case), a parent bird should be shot; and either the whole skin be prepared, or a portion—as the head and wing—preserved for iden- tification. The bird may also be thrown into alcohol and thus easily kept. Another method, recommended 10 BIRD’S-NESTING. as efficacious for a short time (in some cases, for a long period), is not to skin the birds, but simply to pour down their throats, through a small funnel, a few drops of pyroligneous acid, and to saturate the feathers, especially about the vent, with the same fluid; after leaving them to dry for an hour or so, they may be wrapped in paper and packed. This might be a useful plan on rapid and extended trips, when strange species were to be collected and there was not opportunity or skill for preserving the skin ; but alcohol about 70 per cent. strong is superior to all other means of preservation of the entire bird, for purposes either of identification or subsequent study. No pains should be considered too great to secure the certain identification of each set of eggs. If identification be impossible, however, the eggs may still be preserved, as the species can usually be approximated, if not absolutely determined, by an expert odlogist. But such eggs should always be kept separate from the collection until there is no doubt about them, and even then the record should show by whom and in what manner they were named. CAUTIONARY SUGGESTIONS. It is often extremely difficult to make an unques- tionable determination ; as for instance, when many APPEARANCES DECEPTIVE. 11 birds of similar habits breed together. The young collector is especially warned not to be misled by the mere fact of seeing certain birds around a nest. Many of the crow and jay kind are great, eaters of eggs, and mistakes have originated from these birds being seen near nests of which. certainly they were not the owners. Others, such as the titmice, though not plunderers, obtain their food by inces- santly seeking it even in the very localities where many species build. It often happens, also, that two different birds have their homes situated very close to one another; and, if allied species, the collector may easily be deceived. Professor Alfred Newton relates an instance where a dunlin (Tringa alpina) and a purple sandpiper (Tringa maritima) had their nests only a few feet apart. At first a pair of the latter only were seen, which by their actions betrayed their uneasiness. A short search discovered a nest with four eggs. The observer was one of the best practical odlogists then living, and his eye at once saw that it was not the nest which he wanted; but a less experienced man would doubtless have immediately concluded that he had found the eggs of the rarer species. “Indeed it may, generally speaking, be said of most birds, that, whenever they have nests of their own, they are also acquainted with those of their 12 BIRD’S-NESTING. neighbors, which by their actions they will often be- tray to the collector who may be patiently watching them.” Again, birds, even when not of parasitic nature, like the crow blackbird, will occasionally lay their eggs—accidentally, as it were—in the nests of other species ; thus eggs of the eider-duck have been found in the nest of a gull; other similar cases are on record, in some of which, from the species being nearly allied, confusion might easily have arisen, though at the time no doubt may have occurred in the collector’s mind. That it is easy to be mistaken is shown by the slips made even by that great odlogist, Dr. T. M. Brewer, when at the height of his expe- rience ;—for example, in publishing accounts of the nidification of Pheenopepla nitens as that of Myia- destes townsendii, and in one or two other instances recorded occurring in his North American Odlogy. OVERCOMING DIFFICULTIES. It is not always easy to obtain the nest or eggs, in good shape, even after you know where they are. Sometimes, indeed, it is all but impossible, and at- tended with great danger; a consideration, however, not likely to deter any ardent naturalist from attempt- ing to enrich his collection. A large number of sea-birds, and many birds of PERILS OF CLIFF—SCALING. 13 prey, make their homes in holes or niches on the ver- tical faces of cliffs. As a rule, these crags overhang the surf, or some frightful depth of mountain chasm, and are totally inaccessible from below. In some cases, like that of the East Indian edible swallow and several arctic birds, caves in the faces of lofty seaward cliffs are occupied. Then the problem of how to get at their homes is rendered doubly diffi- cult, and its solving extremely perilous. If there are no means of climbing up to such nests, of course the only way is to be let down. Boyish enthusiasm leaps at this prospect, as savoring of a daring not unmixed with nerve and skill very attrac- tive to the imagination, and thus wise precautions of safety are often omitted. No person, for instance, ought ever to attempt to go over a cliff alone, yet it has been done; nor should any one allow himself to be lowered without being so secured to the noose or seat in which he rests at the end of the rope, that, should any accident deprive him of his strength or self-control, he would not fall from his seat. Sudden and unaccountable dizziness sometimes at- tacks the hardest and most experienced heads, due to some peculiar, unsuspected state of the nervous system. A very small pebble falling a long distance and striking the head of the bird’s-nester might easily produce insensibility, and there is always danger of 14 BIRDS’-NESTING. even larger rocks falling. Numberless possibilities of loss of self-control exist in the situation, and it is well to be lashed to the seat in such a way that your friend at the top can haul you up dead or alive in case of accident. The most serious peril attaching to this hazardous part of odlogical work, however, is that the rope is liable to break. Common sense would dictate that you make sure it can bear your weight ; nor does the trouble usually lie here, but in the fact that the chafing of the taut line over the rocks at the edge of the cliff slowly cuts the threads, till an extra strain occurs, the last strand parts, and the unfortunate sportsman is dashed to a horrible death below. Such a fatal result of FORMS OF BEAM AND PULLEY. 15 honest scientific endeavor can always or nearly al- ways be avoided. It would not be a very difficult matter, usually, to rig a large pulley at the edge of the cliff, through which the rope may run securely. One could be constructed for the purpose, surmounting an iron pin to be driven into the soil, or wedged in a crevice, Fic. z, at the summit of the cliff. Another plan would be to insert the pulley into the end of a strong beam, which should be allowed to project a few inches beyond the brow of the cliff, its opposite end be- ing firmly anchored by some simple means. Of course, the utmost care must be taken to secure 16 BIRDS’-NESTING. this machinery strongly to the cliff, since if it breaks evil consequences are likely to ensue. These are instruments that may be hastily con- structed, and capable of being carried on a collecting tour, without much trouble. Where the trial is to be made near home, however, and circumstances will admit, the planting of a suitable windlass at a little distance back from.the edge of the cliff, with two men to handle it, and the placing of a stout roller at the brink, over which the rope shall pass without danger of abrasion, are recommended. Thismayseem like elaborate machinery, but the value of specimens that can only thus be obtained justifies the expense. Besides this, where so precious and irrecoverable a thing as human life is risked, too great caution for insurance against harm cannot be taken. I have urged these various precautions strongly, because I can well sympathize with the eagerness and almost reckless self-confidence of a young egg-seeker who sees a prize just below him; and I also know, better than many, the unseen risks he encounters. In going down, some preparation to carry your eggs, better than in your folded handkerchief, is well. Probably the best contrivance is a trout-creel, strapped to the belé (not hung over the shoulder) the interior of which has been suitably arranged in HINTS ON CLIMBING. 17 compartments, or with movable boxes for the easy reception and safe carriage of the eggs. In many cases, particularly when the nests of cliff-building hawks and eagles are the object, a stick or knife should be taken as a weapon against the attacks of the infuriated owners. There is so small an extent of the coast of the United States, at least upoy, the Atlantic border, where steep and lofty cliffs occur, however, that instruction in the work, either of scal- ing or descending them is somewhat superfluous in the education of the American ornithologist. In England and Scotland, on the contrary, every natu- ralist needs and obtains much of this knowledge and experience. A few words in regard to climbing trees, and se- curing nests and eggs from inconvenient positions may not come amiss. I agree with a late newspaper paragraph on this point, when it condemns climbing- irons; “the feet get cramped and tired out, the legs become stiffened with pain, and the shock to the sys- tem occasioned by climbing is made doubly worse by the use of the irons. Never attempt to use them on a hard-seasoned tree without bark, nor a limbless tree that you cannot reach around; if you do, ten to one you will land on the ground below before any great height is gained. Unless your nerves are strong, never look down, nor higher up than is 2 18 BIRDS’-NESTING. necessary to take one step above another; keep the eyes familiar with all objects on a level with them, which will make it seem that you are on the ground. Take off the coat, or wear a short coat without arms: this will in a measure protect the lungs from being strained, and from other injuries.” . THE ASCENT OF HIGH TREES. How to ascend tall, limbless trees is a problem which circumstances generally help to solve more than any guidance I could give. It is possible to make a ladder out of the trunk by nailing slats across, or by driving in heavy spikes, but this usu- ally makes needful a special trip, and not every case is worth the trouble. A rope-ladder would be a good thing, if, first, you could get it attached; and if, sec- ondly, you could loosen it, when you were finished. A western man writes that he pursues the following somewhat laborious plan. I have never seen it in operation, but should think it would do well, if your own head was level, your friend’s arm stout, and the rope sure not to be chafed in two where it runs over the rough limb. He says: “In collecting nests I always have some person along to assist me, and when after hawks’ nests carry the following outfit: a stiff bow and half a dozen THE FIRE-ESCAPE RECOMMENDED. 19 long arrows with heavy lead heads, a ball of stout linen cord one hundred and fifty feet long, and a rope of the same length and one inch in diameter. Having found a nest, shoot an arrow with the cord attached to the shaft over the limb close to the nest, then pull over the rope, make a loop in one end and seat yourself securely in it. With the assistance of your friend you can easily draw yourself up to the nest. When you reach it (for you need both hands in removing the nest), let the person assisting you take a turn with the rope around the trunk of the tree; in this way he can hold you securely without danger of letting you fall.” The plain objection to this is its cumbersomeness and general impracticability. One hundred and fifty feet of three-inch rope would weigh between forty and fifty pounds. A man would not want to carry this a great distance on a warm spring day, in addi- tion to the other apparatus mentioned and his lunch, which the writer forgot to include in his list, but would doubtless remember in actual experience. If it is replied that the proper way is to take the cable and the rest of it in a wagon; then I suggest that the collector might as well at once provide himself with a fire-escape, or a series of pyramidal extension ladders which could be set up underneath the nest 20 BIRDS’-NESTING. and by means of which he could mount to his prize most advantageously. Another western man thinks the quickest means of ascending such trees is by the use of a rope about an inch and a half in diameter and six or seven feet long. Pass this rope around the tree and your body, and tie it so that you fit nicely between; push the rope up with you, keeping it about the middle of the body. When you wish to rest, push the rope up as far as possible on the opposite side of the tree and sit on it. This process may work successfully in some cases, but I should recommend the novice to practise it thoroughly near the ground before attempting loftier flights. It frequently happens that nests are out upon the ends of branches that will not bear a man’s or boy’s weight, and hence must be got at in some other way. If such a limb is a small one, it can readily be sawed off and held by the hand. I used to wear a belt-knife (which, as I have already said, is exceedingly useful in collecting), the back of which was notched into a saw for such emergencies. Such a tool can be made easily, if it is not purchasable. In the case of larger limbs, they may be prevented from falling when sawed through, by having a rope attached to them and passed over a strong limb above, so as to sustain their weight. THE SCOOP-NET AND MIRROR. 21 Another plan, in the case of long, dangerously weak branches, is to tie a rope securely under your arms, and attach it firmly to the trunk at the right height above you. You can then crawl out upon the shaky limb and take the chances of its breaking, assured that the rope will save you from falling very seriously. This sort of thing should be a last resort, nevertheless. | THE SCOOP-NET AND MIRROR. A young ornithologist at Westerly, R. I., has de- vised an ingenious method of securing eggs from nests at the extremities of limbs, and other inacces- sible places, where the nests are not wanted. It was suggested by his desire to obtain woodpeckers’ eggs where he could not reach down into the burrow and was not allowed to cut into the tree, as one can some- times do in wild land. To overcome the difficulty he took a piece of steel-spring wire, brought the ex- tremities together, and inserted them into the split end of a handle, about the size of a lead-pencil, which is scarfed at that end. A little muslin bag is then fitted to the wire, forming a scoop-net. When not in use the wire and bag are rolled around the handle and confined by a metal cap, for which pur- pose a pistol-cartridge shell answers very well, and can easily be carried in the vest-pocket. When the 22 BIRDS’-NESTING, instrument is to be used it is fastened to the end of a straight stick of suitable length. “I have obtained eggs in this way,” says the inventor, “at a depth of four feet, and often taken them out of a nest on the end of a limb too frail to support weight nearer than within six feet of the nest.” Some such little scoop or dipper would be excellent in cliff-work, also, I should think, but I must confess to a lack of experi- ence in that kind of collecting. Another little device worth mention is this: when you are uncertain whether a nest, the interior of which is overhead and out of sight, contains eggs or not, you can often save time and an expendi- ture of strength in climbing by the use of a mirror. Take one of the little round looking-glasses, which are framed in thin metal with a hinged cover and designed for the vest-pocket, or make some similar substitute for yourself, and fasten it to a ferrule at right angles to its surface. When it is to be used, slip the ferrule on the end of a pole of suitable length, and hold the mirror up over the nest; if there are eggs or young there, it will at once be apparent in its face. A perfection of this instrument would be the connection of the glass and the ferrule (which latter should be strong) by an universal joint or swivel-arrangement, with a proper clamp, so that the mirror could be set at any desired angle. Any SERIES OF EGGS WANTED. 23 clever mechanic ought to construct this little machine at small trouble and expense. MANY SPECIMENS DESIRABLE. Sometimes by removing all the eggs in a nest except one or two, without handling those left, a large number can be obtained from one pair of birds ; often, however, the nest will be found abandoned on a second visit, and in some cases, all the eggs de- stroyed or removed. It is well, therefore, particu- larly if at a distance from home, to take all the eggs at once, and the nest along with them, if you need it; nor, if you propose to make a close study of odlogy, will a single set, or, sometimes, even a dozen sets, suffice to show extremes of variation. A PLEA FOR THE STUDY OF THE NESTS. Whether or not it is worth while to collect nests — for there are many persons who never do so—is, it seems to me, only a question of room in the cabinet. As a scientific study there is far more advantage to be obtained from a series of nests than from a series of eggs. The nest is something with which the will and energies of the bird are concerned. It expresses the character of the workman; is to a certain extent an index of its rank among birds,—for in general 24 BIRDS’-NESTING. those of the highest organization are the best archi- tects,—and gives us a glimpse of the bird’s mind and power to understand and adapt itself to changed con- ditions of life. Over the shape or ornamentation of an egg, the bird has no control, being no more able to govern the matter than it can the growth of its beak. There is as much difference to me, in the interest inspired, between the nest and the egg of a bird, as between its brain and its skull,— using the word brain to mean the seat of intellect. The nest is always more or less the result of con- scious planning and intelligent work, even though it does follow a hereditary habit in its style; while the egg is an automatic production, varying, if at all, only as the whole organization of the bird under- goes change. Don’t neglect the nests then. In them more than anywhere else lies the key to the mind and thoughts of a bird,—the spirit which in- habits that beautiful frame and bubbles out of that golden mouth. And is it not this inner life, —this human significance in bird-nature,—this soul of or- nithology, that we are all aiming to discover? Nests are beautiful, too. What can surpass the delicacy of the hummingbird’s home, glued to the surface of a mossy branch, or nestling in the warped point of a pendent leaf; the vireo’s silken hammock ; the oriole’s gracefully swaying purse; the black- INDIVIDUALITY OF BIRDS. 25 bird’s model basket in the flags; the snug little caves of the marsh-wrens; the hermitage-huts of the sly wagtails and ground-warblers; the stout fortresses of sociable swallows ! : Moreover, there is much that is highly interesting which remains to be learned about nests, and which can only be known by paying close attention to these most artistic masterpieces of animal art. We want to know by what sort of skill the many nests are woven together, that we find it so hard even to dis- entangle; we want to know how long they are in being built ; whether there is any particular choice in respect to location; whether, it be a rule, as is sup- posed, that the female bird is the architect to the exclusion of her mate’s efforts, further than his sup- plying a part of the materials. Many such points remain to be cleared up. Then there is the question of variation and its extent in the architecture of the same species in different quarters of its ranging area. How far is this carried, and how many varieties can be recorded from a single district, where the same list of materials is open to all the birds equally? Variation ‘shows individual opinion or taste among the builders as to the suitability of this and that sort of timber or furniture for their dwellings, and ob- servations upon it thus increase our acquaintance 26 BIRDS’-NESTING. with the scope of ideas and habits characteristic of each species of bird. VARIABLE ARCHITECTURE. As an example of this discriminative phase of bird-architecture, I may mention the remarkable his- tory of Traill’s flycatcher (Zmpidonaz trailli) which, in the typical form or as its “variety,” ranges nearly across the continent in the breeding season, through the northern half of the United States and the con- tiguous parts of Canada. The nest of this species is not to be looked for in the high dry woods which its close cousin, H. acad- icus, loves, but in low, wet and brushy places; it makes its home in bushes rather than in trees. The style of the nest, moreover, is totally unlike that of the Acadian species, resembling more nearly the work of the summer warbler (Dendreca estiva), but lack- ing the compactness and neatness with which that species weaves together the materials that make up its home. NHempen fibres compose the exterior, or body, of the nest, while internally it is lined in true flycatcher style with fine grasses, and a slight admix- ture of down from thistles; the main point of all characterizing it, however, is its position with regard BIRD ARCHITECTUBE.. 27 to the branches. “It is built. into an upright fork, the small twigs that surround it being made avail- able to secure it more firmly in its place by being encircled with the stringy fibres. In this particular of position correspond all of the nests of this bird I have seen, as well as those of pusillus in the west.” Such, in brief, is the account given of the typical nidification of Hmpidonax traiili the country over, by its latest monographer. But some additional ex- planation is necessary to get at a full knowledge of this mutable bird. For instance, criticising the above account by Hen- shaw, so far as it applied to Maine, Mr. H. A. Purdie writes in a succeeding number of the Bulletin of the Nuttall Ornithological Club, that in New England the nest of Traill’s flycatcher is “placed between the up- right shoots of low bushes from one to five feet from the ground, and is loosely constructed of grasses throughout, including the lining; it is a much less compact nest even than that of the indigo-bird, though perhaps smaller in the average.” Further on Mr, Purdie says: “I have lately seen nests and eggs of both #. acadicus and LZ. trailli collected at Columbus, Ohio, by Dr. J. M. Wheaton. Singularly enough, that of the former (’. acadicus) bears a close resem- blance in its structure to that of Maine specimens of Traill’s flycatcher, while the compact, felted character 28 BIRDS’-NESTING. of the latter, LE. trailli, is entirely unlike any nest of this species from the Canadian Fauna.” Nests in Mr. H. B. Bailey’s collection from Dakota are like those of the olive-sided flycatcher, built of rootlets near the ground; while, to crown the diversity, Pearsall found a nest of this species near Bayside, L. I., June 24, which was suspended in a horizontal fork and made of scanty fibrous grasses, like the nest of the Z'. acadicus in all particulars. In the far west we find that an equal diversity obtains. Ridgway, for example, took two nests in Parley’s Park, Utah, one of which was loose and partly pensile, the other compact and supported in the crotch of a brier-bush. Finally there remains to be mentioned, as occurring on the middle line between the species and the variety, a remarkable home of this flycatcher met with, on June 28, by Mr. Ludwig Kumlien, in Jefferson county, Wisconsin, of which Dr. Brewer gives particulars. This nest was placed in a thick mass of coarse marsh grasses, near the ground, on the edge of Lake Koshkonong, and was firmly interwoven with the tops of the surrounding herbage. The grass and reeds, among which it was made, grew in the midst of water, and it was discov- ered by accident in a hunt for rails’ eggs. “It is a large nest for the bird; its base and sides are made of masses of soft lichens and mosses, and within this VALUE OF NOTES ON EGGS. 29 a neat and firm nest is woven of bits of wool and fine wiry stems of grasses, and lined with the same.” Now all this interesting and instructive diversity, and hence an extremely important part of the bird’s life-history, would have been lost had not the nests, as well as the eggs, been collected and studied. I wish to impress strongly upon all readers the value of close, accurate and repeated notes upon the dwell- ing-houses of the birds. But the nests may not always be movable. In such unfortunate cases, full mention of the date, position, structure, e¢ cetera, should be carefully jotted down in the field note-book, and perhaps a little sketch made of appearance and position. Such memoranda and sketches will prove of immense value ~ later, when you want to study up the architecture of that species of bird. PRESERVATION OF THE NESTS. Nests constructed on bushes, or in trees, generally need only slight precautions to insure safe removal and preservation for immediate carriage. They should never be torn from their fastenings; but the branch upon which they rest, or the twigs to which they are attached, ought to be cut off; for which purpose it will be found convenient to carry, in a belt-sheath, a 30 BIRDS’-NESTING. large knife having the back notched intoasaw. The observations in regard to obtaining eggs from difficult positions, detailed on page 17, will of course apply here equally well, and need not be repeated. Nests that rest on the ground often require to be secured against dropping to pieces by a little judicious wrap- ping, or tying together, or even by a few coarse stitches with a needle and thread; while those built of mud, like the swallow’s and the phcebe’s, will crumble, more or less, unless each one is fitted into a pretty tight box, and not handled afterward. And here let me put down something which I neg- lected to mention before, when describing methods of search for the nests of birds wily in concealing their homes and pearly treasures. One of the most difficult classes of birds’ nests to lay one’s hands upon is that of the ground-builders. These nests are not only concealed among the grass of the mead- ows, but perhaps amid the tall stems of growing grain; and even if you flush the parent by walking through the fields, you cannot always trace it to its home, since with cunning caution it has run to a little distance from the object of its anxious hiding before starting up. To aid in finding such nests, I have heard of the following plan being adopted: Two persons take a long rope of sufficient weight to drag well upon the THE DRAGGING-ROPE. 31 ground, and stretch it out to its full length. Holding opposite ends, they then walk slowly abreast from one side of the meadow to the other, dragging the rope stretched between them, and steadily keeping an eye along its line. When, as soon will be likely to happen, a sparrow, bobolink, meadow-lark, or some other ground-breeder starts up between them, alarmed by the rope, they drop the line and follow its guidance to where the bird was flushed. In a large proportion of cases a desirable nest will be found among the grass-roots at that very point. Such a process will save many steps, and is certainly worth remembering. Mr. William Brewster, of Cambridge, has an ex- ceedingly good method of preserving nests, thinking it desirable to keep all of them that he can accom- modate. He has had made a series of deep, square, pasteboard boxes, of different: sizes, but the larger multiples of the smaller, so that two or four little ones will fit accurately into a big one. One side of each box, however, is made to let down, being attached only at the bottom, by a cloth hinge. Af- ter a nest is put in a suitable box, therefore, it is not necessary to lift it out to look at it, for you can let ° down the side of the box (held upright at other times by a rubber band), when the top and one side of the nest will be open for examination without the 82 BIRDS’-NESTING. least handling. In the case of the smaller nests, whenever three or four specimens belonging to the same species are secured, the little boxes which they occupy are set inside of a larger box, and the whole series is thus kept together without loss of room. This is a very advantageous arrangement. THE BREWSTER NEST-BOX, PURIFICATION OF SPECIMENS. Before packing nests, it is always well to be quite sure that they are free from insects or decaying matter. Various methods of fumigation can be em- ployed to avoid unpleasant odors, the increase of vermin or other harm. One way is to inclose the nest in vapor of carbolic acid or other disinfectant, EGGS IN THE FIELD. 33 by placing it in a box perforated with a few pin-holes, accompanied by a small sponge well saturated with the liquid. Instead of carbolic acid, hyposulphite of soda, a colorless and inoffensive solution, might be used. Chlorine-water may also be recommended. Dry disinfection is secured by blowing the nest full of Persian insect-powder by the help of a bellows; after remaining a few hours the powder can be blown out in the same way. It would be possible to use powdered chloride of lime for the same purpose, but this is less desirable ; one objection being that this powder (and equally the chlorine-water spoken of above) might bleach the color out of some compo- nents of the nest. Other means of purifying your prizes for the cabinet, where necessary, will suggest themselves. CARE OF EGGS IN THE FIELD. Having secured your nest, if you think the eggs are fresh—and their appearance will often tell—a good plan is to remove the contents of the eggs right there, since they can be carried with far greater safety when empty. If you think there are embryos in them, however, do not try to do this. Wrap each eg, in cotton, and pack it in the nest. Inclose the nest in a box, tie it up, put it in your basket and do not forget it is there, else you may find everything ruined 34 BIRDS’-NESTING. by a careless jar or tumble. For this work a trout- basket is first-rate, since you can conveniently sus- pend it by a strap over the shoulder, leaving your hands free. At one time I was accustomed to wear a soldier’s cartridge-box attached to my belt. This was not cumbersome, and served fairly when filled with empty shells carefully ensconced in cotton ; but I could never trust it to carry unblown eggs in safety. It would prove a very handy receptacle however, for note-book, instruments, etc., and would not be in one’s way in climbing or making a path through thickets and the other obstacles an enthusi- astic and often heedless egg-hunter is pretty likely to encounter in his pursuit. If you carry the eggs without the nest, wrap each one carefully in cotton, wrap the cotton in soft paper, put them in a shallow tin box, with plenty of cotton between, and fasten the cover of the box tightly, which may then be placed in the pocket or basket. PREPARATION OF SPECIMENS, II. SPECIMENS. Upon every egg, as soon as taken, and upon the nest also, should be put a temporary number, in soft lead pencil, referring to your Field-book, which never, never, be without. This will save any con- fusion from forgetfulness, or any other cause, of which there is always danger; when you get home your notes can be transferred in proper shape to your Ledger, the pencil-mark washed off from the egg, and permanent marks put in its place. The field-record, made on the spot, before another nest is collected, is of the greatest importance. It is not safe to trust for an hour to memory alone. I ought to caution the beginner, however, that he must erase pencil-marks, or otherwise touch the surface of an egg, only when absolutely needful and then with the utmost care; since there are few eggs that will not suffer great harm by any such treat- ment. The next thing is the proper preparation of your (35) 36 BIRDS’—-NESTING. eggs for the cabinet. The old way used simply vo be to break a small hole in each end, blow out the con- tents, and string the eggs, like beads, on pieces of ribbon, which were hung up to adorn the wide empty fire-place in winter with gay festoons. But we have come to think, nowadays, that it is scarcely less than wicked to deprive the birds of their eggs for no better use than this: at least I am writing this book for those only who have a higher aim in making a collection and a better ultimate use for it than this. If two holes are to be made at all, and generally one will suffice, let them never be bored at the apices of the egg, but at a little distance from each end, and both on the same side, choosing the side least conspicuously marked. A blow-pipe applied to the smaller hole will then force out the contents at the other slightly larger one; but this is the least desir- able plan. The best, and therefore the proper, way to empty eggs is through a single hole in the plainest. side. This hole, of course, should be proportioned to the size of the egg, and the amount of incubation it has undergone. It should be circular with smooth edges. The tools with which this is best accomplished are steel drills, which may be procured at the natural- ists’ shops, at a dentist’s, or may be made to order. The drills are of three sizes. Number one is meant EGG—DRILLS. 37 for the smallest eggs—even of hummingbirds—and up to warblers, sparrows and those say of a thrush. The grooves forming the drilled surface should be cut with a chisel. The second size will suit the gen- erality of eggs, excepting those of very large birds and of sea-fowl, which usually lay eggs with a strong Fic. 3. but soft shell. The grooves may be cut either with a chisel or a file, but if with the latter, greater care will be requisite in its use. A third size is intended for the largest eggs, and even some of the smaller ones which have a chalky shell, such as Crotophaga. The grooves are cut with a file; in the manufacture of all these drills the greatest care is necessary that 38 BIRDS’—NESTING. the grooves should lie parallel to one another, and that their edges should be smooth. The smaller the drill, the more acute should be the angle it forms at the point. The drills may be fitted with handles or not, according to fancy,—those with handles being less likely than the others to cramp the fingers of the performer, an inconvenience which often causes breakages. Collectors not having such drills will find a common nail or a three-cornered needle a use- ful substitute, but either of these must be used with extreme care. Holding the egg gently but steadily in the fingers, apply the point of the drill perpendicularly to the surface, unless it be preferred to prick with a needle first. A twirling motion of the instrument, by filing away the shell gradually, enlarges the opening, which should be no larger than is required to accommodate the blow-pipe loosely, leaving room for the egg’s contents to escape around it. In very small eggs, like those of the warblers, when fresh, this hole need not be larger than a pin would make, and thus it will be scarcely visible. The hole having been drilled, hold the egg in the left hand, hole downward, nearly (sometimes fully) insert the small end of the blow-pipe, and blow equably and continuously, until all the contents are expelled. The pressure of air must be, though USE OF BLOW—PIPE — DRYING. 39 steady, a very, very gentle one; a strong puff easily bursts a delicate egg. A suitably bent wire should be provided for cleaning the blow-pipe, which should also be kept corked at both ends, when not in use, to prevent its becoming clogged with dust. Blow-pipes are best made of nickel, and the bent form is more convenient, and hence safer and better, than the straight. They should be as light as pos- sible, smooth on the outside toward the point, and the orifice should be as large as the diameter of the tube will permit. Two sizes are recommended, since a small pipe, suitable for little eggs, causes loss of time in blowing large ones ; for eggs as big as a gull’s, a common jeweller’s blow-pipe will answer very well. Experience will teach one how he may empty the smaller eggs without quite inserting the blow-pipe, and with greater safety. A good plan sometimes is to force water into the egg through the pipe. PERFECTING THE PROCESS. After all the contents of the egg have been re- moved, rinse the shell thoroughly and dry it at once. The rinsing and drying are both important, and should be done carefully. For the latter pur- pose do not use a layer of sand or meal, since, in ab- sorbing the moisture, these substances are likely to 40 BIRDS’—NESTING. “cake” about the hole in the egg, becoming so firmly attached that one can hardly remove the particles without marring or breaking the shell. A better plan is to set the eggs, after rinsing, hole downwards, on a blotting-pad. But an improvement on this, again, has been suggested in the substitution of a soft, folded towel for the blotting-paper. This not only absorbs the drainage of the eggs, but on its yield- ing surface you can roll them about gently, so as to dry every portion of the outside without rubbing, which is likely not only to destroy the “bloom” of Fic. 4. an egg, but even to rub off the colors, when freshly laid, as previously mentioned. In all cases, set the eggs that have been lately collected aside in a dark place for a few, days before putting them into the cabinet. The contents of some eggs may frequently be re- moved ‘best by aid of a syringe, which is also very useful for purposes of rinsing; this, too, should be made of nickel. The ring at the top should be large enough to admit the thumb, for the instrument must be worked with the right hand, while the operator holds the egg in the left. It frequently happens that SUCTION METHODS. 41 for various reasons a person may find suction a better way for emptying an egg than expulsion. As an aid to this a thin glass pipe with a bulb has been devised. The object of the bulb is to prevent the fluids from reaching the mouth. The lower orifice should be as large as possible, and, like the blow-pipe and syr- inge, perfectly smooth on the outside. If, from any reason, you cannot procure these in- struments, do not hesitate to begin without them; and, after all, as an experienced and successful col- Fic, 5. lector remarked lately, “there’s nothing like one’s jaws.” The most important of them all, next toa proper instrument for boring the hole, is the blow- pipe, and if this cannot be got of the shape desired in nickel, it may readily be made out of glass-tubing, one end of which can be melted in the flame of a gas burner or spirit-lamp and drawn out to a fine, smooth point, after which the tube be warmed enough to be bent at right angles or into any other shape. Some indeed prefer such a home-made blow-pipe of glass to any metal one. 42 BIRDS’-NESTING. Your ingenuity will thus invent substitutes for regular tools. Scores of times I have sat down under the tree where I have found a bird’s nest, and blown the eggs nicely, with no better instruments than a buckskin needle and a hollow stem of ripe grass—the latter making a very good blow-pipe, since it is exceedingly light; while if your metal pipe drops from your lips, the chances are that your egg is demolished. Small fresh eggs, I, myself, do not object to sucking directly, lying on my back, and letting the egg rest cushioned between my lips, guarding it with care against contact with the teeth. Whatever bad taste remains in the mouth is quickly got rid of by a morsel of candy or spice, which can be carried in the pocket for this purpose; or aro- matic herbs, like peppermint or the pungent barks of spicewood and birch, are easily found, and effect- ually obliterate the memory of the raw yolk. TREATMENT OF INCUBATED EGGS. My remarks, so far, have applied to fresh eggs, in the manipulation of which the young collector will soon become proficient; but eggs which contain em- bryos present some difficulties, and require the help of certain instruments to empty and preserve prop- erly. TREATMENT OF INCUBATED EGGS. 43 When it is known that incubation is much ad- vanced, I should recommend that generally the parent-birds be left to finish their labor of love ; yet if the eggs are rarities greatly needed in the collec- tion, it may be profitable to take them. Eggs long sat upon are more easily blown by being kept a few days, but the operation must not be deferred too long, or they may burst violently immediately on being punctured, unless held under water while the first incision is made. When the embryo is well grown, the hole may be drilled as before, but it must be larger; and as the drill is likely to split a shell after it has bored a certain size of hole, it is often well, with a fine needle, to prick a circular series of minute holes, almost touching, and then remove the 44 BIRDS’-NESTING. enclosed circle of shell. This must be done with great caution, for egg-shells grow more brittle to- The hole being drilled, ward the time of hatching. the lining membrane should be cleared away from the orifice with a penknife. Well-formed embryos cannot be got through any hole that can be made in the shell, and it must not be tried—there is every probability of ru- ining the specimen; they must be extracted piece- meal. First, a stream of water should be introduced by means of a syringe, and the egg then gently shaken, after which the blow-pipe may again be resorted to, until by the ultimate use of both in- struments, aided by minia- (a) eT | ~ Fic. 7. ture scissors, hooks, knives and forceps, the embryo is cut to pieces and completely removed. Some types of the forms of these miniature odsur- gical instruments, as I may be pardoned for calling EXTRACTING EMBRYOS. 45 them, are shown in the accompanying figures (6 to 8), taken by permission of Prof. S. F. Baird from the Smithsonian “Circular.” If they cannot be readily purchased, a clever mechanic ought to be able to make them or their substitutes. 1 am able to give, also, a figure of a queer pair of Fic. 8 embryotomy scissors designed to aid us by accom- plishing the same work through an aperture of less size than will admit the other cutting-tools. It is the suggestion of Dr. W. J. Hoffman, of Washington, who explains it in the following memorandum: “ The 46 BIRDS’-NESTING. instrument, illustrated, and considerably enlarged, in fig. 8, resembles a pair of scissors, one blade being attached to either a hollow or a split tube through which passes the rod bearing the opposing blade. The blades can readily be introduced into the egg through a moderately sized hole, and will be found very convenient in cutting up the embryo, the rem- nants and pieces being afterwards removed by means of the ordinary forceps.” I have myself never seen one of these instruments in operation, but should think it would prove of much service. Mr. G. A. Boardman, a practical ornithologist; recommends that, after having picked out as much of the young bird as you safely can through a mod- erate hole, you:blow water into the egg with the blow-pipe ; then let it stand for some days in a dark drawer; keep repeating this process about every third day, gradually blowing more water into the shell, until the whole embryo has decayed and is taken away. He considers this a safe and sure way, and certainly it is better to take the trouble of jit than to run any risk with a rare and valuable egg. As much as possible of the lining membrane should be pulled out in all cases, as if this or any other mat- ter is left inside, it is likely to attract insects and perhaps discolor the shell ; the removal can be accom- plished with patience and the help of such pincers PREVENTION OF DECAY. 47 as are shown in fig. 9. A good plan is to wash the inside with diluted carbolic acid, or corrosive subli- mate (chloride of mercury) dissolved in spirits of wine (alcohol) : and, at all events, very thorough rins- ing is necessary — otherwise your specimen is likely to become a plague-spot in the cabinet. (= But do not fail to remember, that the corrosive sublimate must be used very carefully, by aid of ug syringe, since it is a deadly poison. Should the yolk of any egg be dry and hard, a small quantity of carbonate of soda may be intro- Le Fic. g. duced (but with great care that it does'not touch the outer surface of the shell, as in that case the color is likely to be affected) ; then fill the egg with water from the syringe, and leave it to stand a few hours with the hole uppermost, after which the contents may easily be removed by the blow-pipe, assisted by one of the hooks. “Whenever practicable, the embryos or young found in the egg should be carefully preserved in alcohol, great care, of course, being taken to mark the specimens properly. The better plan will be to keep each set in a small bottle or vial, and a slip of stiff paper or parchment placed inside with the num- 48 BIRDS’"—NESTING. ber or name. Whenever the abundance of the eggs will authorize it, a large number with the young in different degrees of development, even as many as fifty of a kind, should be secured. The embryos in this case need not be removed from the egg, which should, however, be cracked at the blunt end to facili- tate the entrance of the spirit.” SAFETY CONTRIVANCES. A device given by Prof. Alfred Newton, in the Smithsonian pamphlet from which I have quoted so freely, for use in the case of eggs containing embryos, is superior to any similar invention known to me, and has been generally adopted by English odlogists. It consists in using patches of tissue paper, a number of which when gummed on to an egg, one over the other, and left to dry, strengthen the shell in such a manner that the instruments can be introduced through the aperture in the middle and worked to the best advantage ; thus a fully formed embryo may be cut up, and the pieces extracted through a very moderately sized hole. The number of thicknesses required depends of course greatly upon the size of the egg, the length of time it has been incubated, and the stoutness of the shell and the paper; five or six is the least number that it is safe to use. Each SAFETY CONTRIVANCES. 49 piece should be left to dry before the next is gummed on. Slits in their margin cause them to set pretty smoothly, which will be found very desirable: an aperture in the middle of each may be cut out first, or the whole series of layers may be drilled through when the hole is made in the egg. For convenience’ sake the papers may be prepared already gummed, and moistened when put on. Doubtless, patches of ” linen, cotton cloth, or “court-plaster,” would an- swer equally well. When the operation is over, a Fic, 10. slight application of warm water will loosen them so that they can be easily removed, after which they can be separated from one another and dried to serve another time. ‘Some of the instruments, very ser- viceable in this and the previously described delicate operations, are shown in fig. 7 which explain them- selves. The “hooks” of course have knife-blade edges on the inside of the curve. The most effectual way of adopting this method of emptying eggs is by using very many layers of thin paper and plenty of thick gum, but this of course is 50 BIRDS’—NESTING. the most tedious. Nevertheless, it is quite worth the trouble in the case of really rare specimens, and they will be in none the worse condition for final operation on account of the previous delay of a few days caused by waiting for the gum to dry and harden. Notwithstanding the apparent fragility of eggs, a little experience will enable any one to empty them of their contents with great ease and safety. The principal accident to be guarded against is that of crushing the egg by too great pressure between the fingers ; these should be applied so as barely to hold the egg, and no more. A very nervous person better not attempt it. If an operation be performed over a full basin of water, the chance dropping of the egg from the fingers into the water will usually be attended with no harm. A small instru- ment designed to assist in safely handling eggs while in course of preparation was recalled to the atten- tion of naturalists, by Doctor Coues in the following paragraph in the Bulletin of the Nuttall Ornitho- logical Club for October, 1878: “The usual method of emptying eggs through one small hole with a bent blow-pipe is doubtless sup- posed to be a very modern trick; but it dates back to 1828, when M. Danger proposed ‘a new method of preparing and preserving eggs for the cabinet,’ which is substantially identical with the operation as ! SAFETY CONTRIVANCES. 51 now universally practised, though he used a three- edged needle to punch the hole, instead of our mod- ern drill, and did not refer to some of our late ways of managing the embryos. I refer to the paper less ‘as a matter of history, than for the purpose of bring- ing to notice one of the tools which M. Danger recommmends, and which I think would prove very useful indeed. In fact, I am rather surprised that it has been so long neglected, and strongly advise a ist ~\ Fic, 11. iim Tt > a trial of the instrument as something better than fin- gers for holding the egg during drilling and blowing. The instrument is so simple that it will be under- stood without description, by a glance at the accom- panying figure (fig. 12). The oval rings are covered with some hght fabric, like mosquito-netting, and do not touch the egg which is held lightly, but securely in the netting. Such an instrument would cost but a trifle, and it seems worth ascertaining whether we may not avoid danger by Danger’s own method.” 52 BIRDS’"—NESTING. The wetting of the outside of the egg, however, should be avoided, if practicable, as the mere contact of water sometimes injures it, marring the fine “bloom.” Consequently dirt-stains or dung-spots should never be removed,—this little dirt only adding to the natural appearance of the egg, which washing would certainly mar. If you object to the bad ap- pearance I must remind you that the object of your collecting is not the decoration of your cabinet or library, but the study of the breeding habits of the Fic. 12, birds of your district. To change the natural ap- pearance of the nest or egg, therefore, beyond the point of healthful cleanliness, is not permissible to the conscientious student. Varnishing is an abomi- nation which I trust it is not necessary for me to pro- test against, —it is so unlikely to be practised by the sensible persons whom, without flattery, I suppose my readers to be. Eggs that are cracked may be strengthened by placing goldbeaters’ skin (which is used altogether at the Smithsonian) or tissue paper along the line of AUTHENTICATION OF EGGS. 53 injury, or what is easier, and in most cases even better, by brushing collodion along and over the cracks. To this same end, and also as answering the ornamental intention of varnish, I have heard the white of an egg recommended; but I consider collodion preferable whenever it can be obtained. It is often well to cover the punctures or holes cut out, especially if large, with thin paper, silk or goldbeaters’ skin. If a piece of the shell be re- moved, it can usually be replaced and kept in position by pasting thin paper over it and along the Ime of separation. Even when in this fragmentary condi- tion, a rare egg is worth preserving. Eggs should always be left empty, except in the case of some very badly damaged ones, to which a slight solidity may be imparted by a fluff of cotton. AUTHENTICATION. Having placed your nests and eggs in the proper condition for safety and study, with a knowledge of what their true names are, the next thing is the authentication of these specimens m a manner which in future will admit of no doubt of their identity and history. This, as I have hinted before, is of the utmost importance, and neglect in this direction is inexcusable and unprofitable, as you will sorrowfully 54 BIRDS ’—NESTING. » find whenever you attempt to increase your posses- sions by exchange of property with other collectors. It is best on all accounts to keep eggs in sets, a “set” being whatever number were found in a single nest ; and if you are saving the nests—which again let me beg of you to do—undoubtedly the best place to preserve the eggs is in their natural recep- tacle, where a few bits of cotton will prevent dis- astrous jarring. The history of the nest may be written on a label of tough paper and sewn to it. This will not injure it, and there will be no chance of displacement. Each egg in it must be marked as faithfully as those which are separated from their nests and classified in the drawers of the cabinet. The most scrupulous attention must be paid to accurate, complete, and permanent labelling. “So important is this,” says Dr. Coues, “that the unde- niable defacing of a specimen, by writing on it, is no offset to the advantages accruing from such fixity of record.” The most complete method of authenticating eggs is that of writing in ink on their shells, not only the name of the species to which each belongs, but also, as far as the space will admit, many particulars re- lating to the amount of identification to which the specimen was subjected, the locality where, date when, and name of the person by whom it was METHODS HERETOFORE IN USE. 55 taken, adding always a reference to the Journal or Note-book of the collector, wherein fuller details may be given. SUGGESTIONS FROM NEWTON AND OTHERS. It being advisable to pursue some regular system in marking, the following method has been suggested by Professor Alfred Newton of Magdalen College, Cambridge, — at present, no doubt, the chief of British ornithologists, —as one found to work well in practice : The scientific names only are to be used, in all cases where the specimens have really been satis- factorily identified. If this was accomplished by obtaining one or both of the parent birds, a memo- randum of the fact is to be added, thus: “Both birds snared ;” “Bird shot ;” or, in smaller space, “Bd. st.” If the identification has been effected only by a good view of the birds, the fact should be stated thus: “Bird well seen,” “Bird seen,” or “Bd. sn.” For eggs not taken by the collector himself, but brought in by persons not having a sci- entific knowledge of ornithology, the local name or the name applied by the finder should only be used, unless indeed it requires interpretation, when the scientific name may be added, but always within 56 BIRDS’—NESTING. brackets, thus: “Toogleeaiah [Squatarola helvet- ica] ;” the necessary particulars relating to the cap- ture and identification being added. Eggs found by the collector, and not identified, but the origin of which he thinks he knows, may be inscribed with the common English name of the species to which he refers them; or with the scientific name, but al- ways with a note of interrogation (?) after it, or else the words “Not identified.” In his Field Ornithology, Dr. Elliott Coues ad- vises similarly : “An egg should always bear the same number as the parent in the collector’s record. Ina general collection, where a separate ornithological and odlogical register is kept, identification of egg with parent is nevertheless readily secured, by mak- ing one the numerator, the other the denominator of a fraction, to be simply inverted in its respective application. Thus, bird No. 456, and egg No. 123, are identified by making the former {3§, and the lat- ter 322. All the eggs of a clutch should have the same number. If the shell be large enough, the name of the species should be written on it; if too small, it should be accompanied by a label, and may have the name indicated by a number referring to a certain catalogue. According to the present [7. e., Dr. Coues’s] ‘Check List,’ for example, No. 1 would indicate Turdus migratorius. The date of collection METHODS HERETOFORE IN USE. 57 is a highly desirable item; it may be abbreviated thus: ‘3, 6, 72’ means June 3, 1872. It is well to have the egg authenticated by the collector’s initials at least. Since ‘sets’ of eggs may be broken up for distribution to other cabinets, yet permanent indica- tion of the size of the clutch be wanted, it is well to have some method. A good one is to write the number of the clutch on each egg composing it, giv- ing each egg of the set, moreover, its individual number. Supposing, for example, the clutch No. 322 contained five eggs, one of them would be }22 5-1; the next 323 5-2, and so on. But it must be remembered that all such arbitrary memoranda must be systematic, and be accompanied by a key.” Another invention in labelling was announced by Mr. W. H. Ballou, in a communication to the Amer- ican Naturalist, vol. xii, 1878, page 306, of which I quote the substance : “Having occasion during the past year to make an arrangement of the collection of oology in a certain Academy of Science in the west, my attention was: more than ever drawn to the absolute necessity of having a different system of labelling from the one I employed there, especially in so large a museum, where duplicate eggs are stored away by the thou- sand with no distinction whatever. Soon after ob- taining additions to my own collection of eggs, some 58 BIRDS’—NESTING. of whicn required mending, I was attracted by the wonderful adhesive force of coaguline in cementing shells together. Following out the line of thought presented at this time, I was enabled to perfect a system of labelling which is essentially described here: “*Slips of paper are to be prepared in triangular form, or at least to have one portion tapering to a Fic. 13. point, as figured above. The slips can be cut in sizes varying with the dimensions of the egg, or the amount of writing intended to be placed upon them. Having made the necessary record, the very tip of the label may be moistened with coaguline and fast- ened to the egg as in fig. 13. It should be placed on the border of the drilled hole on the side, so that both may occupy as little space as possible. Almost CRITICISMS. 59 the entire surface of the egg is now in a condition for examination. The advantages of such a label are seen at once. Both sides may be written upon. They may be used as handles by which to hold the egg for examination, thus saving many eggs from being crushed. They may be made sufficiently large to contain all necessary writing, or small enough to suit the taste. They may be taken off at any time by simply dipping the cemented portion into warm water; and it is often desirable to do this, especially in exchanges, There is no possible danger of their being torn off when they are handled with the care 999 usually bestowed on eggs. OBJECTIONS TO THE FOREGOING ADVICE. Theoretically these various schemes are nearly perfect ; but practically there are enormous (difficulties in the way, and an attempt to surmount or compromise with them would almost surely lead the novice into just what he is trying to avoid. It is not imperative that several of the items men- tioned should be attached to the egg any more closely than by a reference to a record where all details are given. It is only a few eggs whose shells afford sufficient room to record one-half these particulars. In the case of large eggs, if you can write finely and 60 BIRDS’-NESTING. yet distinctly, there can be no other objection to inditing all the circumstances of its discovery, than that it needlessly defaces the specimen; but in the case of the smaller species it is simply impossible. Never having myself seen the third plan in prac- tice, I can only leave it with each one of my readers to choose whether it will serve his purpose. It might be an excellent idea for the duplicates of a large museum, since it is rapidly applied and leaves the shell free for the ultimate owner to write upon if he chooses and what he chooses ; but I should think the many little three-cornered labels would look very odd in a private collection, quite destroying the beauty of the cabinet, which is something of no little importance to the egg-fancier. The papers would hide the small eggs, too, Ifear. But the great objection is, that in spite of the “wonderful adhesive force” of coaguline or any other gum, some, if not many of the labels, would be sure sooner or later to come off, and then—where is your authenticity ? What is wanted is a system which shall be very simple yet suitable for all sizes and conditions of eggs. To fill this want, probably no method of keeping records has been offered better than that proposed in the succeeding paragraphs, which has been used both in the United States and in England with great satisfaction. THE LEDGER. 61 A PROPOSED FORM OF RECORD-BOOK. Provide yourself with a blank book of considerable size.. If you buy a new one, get one well bound, having good paper and at least one hundred and fifty quarto pages. Call this your Ledger, and on the first page write : “ The first number inscribed upon each egg in the collection, of which this is the record, corresponds with the number of the species of bird to which it belongs, as enumerated in the revised edition (1881) of the Smithsonian Institution’s Catalogue of Amer- ican Birds, published as Bulletin Number 21 of the National Museum.” It should be explained at this point, that three catalogues of North American birds have been issued by the Smithsonian Institution to date, under the following titles : (1) Catalogue of North American Birds, chiefly in the Museum of the Smithsonian Institution. By Spencer F. Baird, Secretary of the Smithsonian Institution. Washington, Smithsonian Institution. October, 1858. 4to, paper. ‘1 p- L, pp. xvii-lvi. [Reissue, with new title-page, of pp. xvii-lvi of vol. ix, Pacific R. R.. Reports (“Birds of North America”). Includes, besides the list of 738 spe- cies, with habitats, tables of the higher groups, ¢ 62 BIRDS’-NESTING. and lists of extralimital species (23 in number) treated in the general report, and of others (31) claimed, on apparently insufficient grounds, as North American ; also a summary of the number of species given in the works of Wilson, Bonaparte, and Aud- ubon. | (2) Catalogue of North American Birds, chiefly in the Museum of the Smithsonian Institution. By Spencer F. Baird. First octavo edition. Washing- ton, Smithsonian Institution. [Smithsonian Miscel- laneous Collections, No. 108.] 1859. 8vo. 2p. IL, pp. 19+ 2. [Based upon the quarto list of 1858, but without habitats, and the matter relating to classification, etc. The two additional pages are an alphabetical index of the North American genera. As in the quarto list, there are, ostensibly, 738 spe- cies, but there are 22 interpolations, making a total of 760 names in the list. ] (3) A Catalogue of the Birds of North America. By Robert Ridgway.